Staying Solo

What is it about service business ownership that makes people want to chuck it all in and give up?  For some reason, service businesses are often treated as "less than" in the online business world. They're treated as though our businesses are just a stop along the way until we can do something "better". How do we turn the tide and make sure service businesses start getting the respect they're due...

Ever wondered why service businesses get such a bad rap?  Probably because we have our very own anthology of urban legends and myths that have been repeated so many times they're now accepted as fact. A lot of these myths and stories are designed simply to sell you something, and in the process, they challenge what we think we know about our service businesses. They mess with our heads. They shake...

Q: What do the online business industry and MLMs have in common? A: Way more than they should, unfortunately.  Yet for some reason, the online biz world seems to direct a whole lot of vitriol towards MLMs (and really, lots of other business models).  So where's the disconnect? How do people not see — or maybe not care — that the very thing they judge can be uncannily similar to the things they do?...

Ever had to chase a client to get paid? The fact is, when it comes to payments terms for your business, there are a ton of variables, so having everything nailed will make collecting your money as easy as possible. In today's episode, we're talking about all things payments including payment terms, options for receiving payments, payment plans and so much more.  Get the inside scoop right here: ht...

Do you ever hear other business owners talking about their money goals and milestones and wonder HOW those numbers might even be possible? The truth is, those goals you hear about may very well be based on fiction, not fact. How do you set money goals that are not only attainable, but actually make sense for you and your business? In this episode, I sit down with Financial Strategist Nechelle Bart...

Have you ever wondered the REAL story behind a business or the person running it?  Not the shiny, glossed over version that omits key things from the past, but the actual story, privilege and all? Yeah, me too. My take is this: If you're going to listen to me, read my work, and potentially work with me, you deserve truth and transparency. Especially as I literally talk about trust. How can you pos...

Question: What do the online business industry and cults have in common? Answer: Way more than you think.  For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated by cults so when I discovered two NXIVM Docuseries — Seduced and The Vow — of course I was going to watch.  But then something happened that I wasn't entirely expecting. I saw so many clear parallels between what was being shared on-screen, a...

Have you ever been told that a challenge in your business could be fixed with some mindset work? Of course you have. Because in the online business world, mindset gets  blamed for anything and everything— especially when it comes to money. Truth? I'm sick of it. While money mindset is real, not everything is a mindset issue. In this episode, I sat down with Bear Hebert, radical life coach, social...

Pricing is one of the more challenging parts of running a business as it can be complicated and nuanced. It can get tied up with our own stories about pricing, and leave us wondering what the right way to price our services really is. In this episode, we're talking about how to rethink your pricing heading into 2021, including how to raise your prices and all the factors that impact your pricing....

When it comes to marketing and sales, there are so many different strategies and tactics you can use. It's overwhelming, and frankly, many of them just aren't the right ones for your business. But there's one thing that matters more than any single tactic, and that's trust. In this episode, we're going to break down how to take a trust-driven approach to your marketing and sales. Get the inside sc...

When it comes to selling your services, it can be challenging to know if you're getting it right, or if you're inadvertently sabotaging yourself somehow. In this episode, I'm unpacking nine things I see service providers getting wrong, and we're going to talk about how to fix them.  Get the inside scoop right here:  https://smallbusinessboss.co/sales-mistakes

If you're anything like me, when you look at other people running a successful business, you want to know *exactly* what they've done to get where they are. And the truth is, while everyone is unique and each agency has its own flavor, there ARE some things that are universal when it comes to building a thriving business. I like to call these The Five Cs, and consider them the nuts and bolts of ru...

This has been the longest year ever. Am I right? And it's because my well-orchestrated plan was thrown out the window, and there's been a lot of adjusting along the way. As part of our agency model series on the BS-Free Service Business show, I'm taking you behind-the-scenes of my agency, Scoop Studios.  I share the nitty-gritty on revenue growth, the realities of lead gen, and what I'm planning f...

In this episode of the show, I'm taking you on my agency journey which has been over 20 years in the making. The twist, the turns, the lessons and how everything agency has changed. Get the inside scoop: https://smallbusinessboss.co/build-an-agency/

In today's episode, I'm talking about a new type of agency, the kind that skips the BS and helps you build a business you can love.  Get the inside scoop right here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/agency-business-model/

Have you ever looked around at some of the other businesses in the online business industry and thought "that seems shady as hell"?  Or, have you ever wondered how some of the people in this industry manage to fly under the radar while operating with an "anything goes" attitude? That's why I decided it was time to go deep into the underbelly of the online business world and start unpacking WHY thi...

Ever looked at an agency owner who seems to have it all together and wondered what exactly goes on behind the scenes? Me too. (Yes, I run an agency, but that doesn't mean I've got every single thing perfectly figured out!). For this episode I'm thrilled to bring you an agency behind-the-scenes episode with Tasha Booth, Founder and CEO of the Launch Guild. Tasha shares so many gems from what to loo...

Burnout isn't inevitable when you run a service business, no matter what people want you to believe. In this episode we're talking about why working with clients isn't a recipe for burnout and five strategies for avoiding burnout in your service business.  Get the inside scoop right here:  https://smallbusinessboss.co/avoiding-burnout/

As bosses, many of us worry we're missing something as we build our businesses, so the idea of a specific way to do things can be incredibly appealing. Which is why in this episode and blog post, I'm walking you through the BS-Free Service Business Foundations Framework, and true to its name, it's going to free you from a whole lotta busywork and BS. Get the inside scoop right here: https://smallb...

Masterminds are often seen as a must-have for business owners, but should we believe the hype about what they can really do for us? In this episode and blog post, I'm doing a deep dive into the good, the bad and the ugly of masterminds. Get the inside scoop right here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/ benefits-of-mastermind-groups /

As the saying goes, you need to spend money to make money, but is that really true? My take is that sometimes it is and other times we'd be better served by closing our wallets. In this episode, I'm sharing nine questions you need to ask before you invest in anything. Get the inside scoop right here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/ before-you-invest /

With the rise of social media, we've also seen the emergence of influencers. Now, literally anyone with the right talent or skills can build a platform and reach an audience of thousands or even millions. On this episode of the BS-Free Service Business Show, we're looking at everything you need to know about celebrity entrepreneurs, their problematic business practices and sharing the six differen...

Fall is coming up quickly, and if your business is anything like mine, it's GO time for new business opportunities.  On this episode of the BS-Free Service Business Show, we're doing a refresher on referrals, including everything you need to know. Get the inside scoop right here:  https://smallbusinessboss.co/referrals/

If you're listening to this podcast you're either tired of the hype in the business world about growing your business, or you're looking for ways to grow in a healthy, sustainable way. Or maybe a bit of both. On this episode of the BS-Free Service Business Show, I'm tackling how to scale your service business without the hype or BS. Get the inside scoop right here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/sca...

No matter how digitized your business is (or isn't), 2020 has made one thing clear, the future of our businesses relies on our ability to use the internet for everything from our processes to our client prospecting. On this episode of the BS-Free Service Business Show, I sit down with author and digital marketer Avery Swartz to chat about building a digital-first business. Get the inside scoop rig...